Meter data management systems, methods, and software with outage management capabilities
First Claim
1. A system for handling data from electrical usage meters, the apparatus comprising a computer processor configured for:
- receiving and storing messages for electrical usage meters, the messages including energization status messages;
determining whether one or more of the energization status messages are associated with a known outage condition within an outage management system;
transmitting outage condition data based on one or more of the energization status messages to the outage management system, wherein the transmitted outage condition data excludes data based on the energization status messages determined to be associated with the known outage condition; and
estimating usage data based on one or more of the stored messages from the electrical usage meters, wherein the computer processor configured for estimating is responsive to one or more of the energization status messages indicative of an outage condition to avoid overestimating electrical usage for at least one of the meters.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present inventors recognized a need to leverage the data from Advanced Metering Systems (AMIs) in the management of electrical outages. To address this and/or other needs, the present inventors devised, among other things, systems, methods, and software that not only intelligently filter and communicate AMI outage data to Outage Management Systems (OMSs), but also facilitate communications between OMSs and multiple types of AMI systems. One exemplary system includes an outage management module that receives AMI outage data in the form of “last gasp” messages from meters and determines whether the OMS is already aware of a power outage associated with those meters. If the OMS is already aware of an outage associated with these meters, the outage management module excludes the outage reports from its communications with the OMS, thereby preserving its capacity to handle new outage information and overcoming a significant obstacle to using AMI data within OMSs.
22 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system for handling data from electrical usage meters, the apparatus comprising a computer processor configured for:
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receiving and storing messages for electrical usage meters, the messages including energization status messages; determining whether one or more of the energization status messages are associated with a known outage condition within an outage management system; transmitting outage condition data based on one or more of the energization status messages to the outage management system, wherein the transmitted outage condition data excludes data based on the energization status messages determined to be associated with the known outage condition; and estimating usage data based on one or more of the stored messages from the electrical usage meters, wherein the computer processor configured for estimating is responsive to one or more of the energization status messages indicative of an outage condition to avoid overestimating electrical usage for at least one of the meters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of handling data from electrical usage meters, the method comprising:
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receiving and storing messages for electrical usage meters, the messages including energization status messages; determining whether one or more of the energization status messages are associated with a known outage condition within an outage management system; and transmitting outage condition data based on one or more of the energization status messages to the outage management system, wherein the transmitted outage condition data excludes data based on the energization status messages determined to be associated with the known outage condition; and estimating usage data based on one or more of the stored messages from the electrical usage meters, wherein the estimating is responsive to one or more of the energization status messages indicative of an outage condition to avoid overestimating electrical usage for at least one of the meters. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions that when executed by a processor execute a process comprising:
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receiving and storing messages for electrical usage meters, the messages including energization status messages; determining whether one or more of the energization status messages are associated with a known outage condition within an outage management system; transmitting outage condition data based on one or more of the energization status messages to the outage management system, wherein the transmitted outage condition data exclude data based on the energization status messages determined to be associated with the known outage condition; and estimating usage data based on one or more of the stored messages from the electrical usage meters, wherein the estimating is responsive to one or more of the energization status messages indicative of an outage condition to avoid overestimating electrical usage for at least one of the meters. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification